Manufacture of disks



Oct. 27, .1942. F. H. LE J'EUNE 2,299,993

MANUFACTURE OF DISKS Filed Dec. .26, 19:59 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGQI.

FIG.5.

INVENTOR. BY FRANK u. L'EJEUNE' 1 .1

ATTORNEY 0a. 27, 1942. F. H. LE JEUNE 2,299,998

MAQUFACTURE OF DISKS Filed Dec. 26, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. lzRAl lK H. }LEJEUNE ATfoRNE s Patented Oct. 27, 1942 UNITED STTES PATENT OFFICE MANUFACTURE OF DISKS Frank H. Le Jeune, Detroit, Mich, assignor. to Kelsey-Hayes Wheel Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application December 26, 1939, Serial No. 310,989

3 Claims.

The invention relates to the manufacture of disks and more particularly pressed metal wheel disks of relatively large diameter.

The invention has for an object the econom ical manufacture of disks of relatively large diameter. The invention has for another object the manufacture of disks from strip stock in a manner to avoid Waste of material and with but few steps. The invention has for a further object the carrying out of the forming steps in a manner to avoid wrinkling of the material.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a flat metal strip from which the disk is formed;

Figure 2 is an end view illustrating the blank first formed from the metal strip;

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are sectional views illustrating successive forms taken by the blank during the manufacture of the disk;

Figure 6 is a sectional view illustrating the completed disk;

Figures 7, 8 and 9 are sections through different machines for forming the blanks illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 5, respectively.

As illustrated in the present instance, the disks manufactured by my improved method are designed particularly to be used as tractor wheel 53 disks having outer diameters of approximately 29% inches. Figure 6 illustrates the completed disk having the inner and outer radial portions l and 2, respectively, in axially spaced planes and the intermediate curved portion 3 having reversely curved parts connecting into the inner and outer radial portions. The inner radial portion I forms the bolting-on flange and is provided with the annular series of bolt holes 4, while the outer radial portion 2 forms the rim receiving flange and is provided with the annular series of bolt holes 5.

In the manufacture of the disk, a fiat rectangular sheet metal strip 6, illustrated in Figure 1, is used. This strip is bent into tubular form and its ends are Welded to form the tubular blank and, more particularly, the cylindrical blank 1, as illustrated in Figure 2. The length of the strip 6 is such that the outer diameter of the tubular blank 1 is about and preferably slightly less than one-half of the sum of the inner and outer diameters of the completed disk. As illustrated, the outer diameter of the tubular blank I is approximately 21 /2 inches and the inner and Outer diameters of the completed disk, illustrated in Figure 6, are approximately 13% inches and 29% inches, respectively.

The tubular blank 1 is then operated upon in, the apparatus illustrated in Figure 7. This ap paratus has the die 8' and the punch 9 which cooperate to contract one end of the tubular blank to form the inwardly extending curved portion It]. The curvature is such that the center of the curved portion I0 is located inwardly beyond the inner end of the curved portion and the inner end extends at an angle less than degrees to the axis of the blank whereby the metal forming the curved portion is subjected to compression only and progressively upset toward its inner end and wrinkling is avoided. Figure 3 illustrates the form of the blank after it has been operated upon, by the apparatus illustrated in Figure '7.

The next step comprises subjecting the blank of Figure 3 to the apparatus illustrated in Figure 8. This apparatus comprises the die H and the punch 12, the two in their final operative position slightly overlapping. The punch cooperates with the die to form the inwardly extending curved portion l3 of less radius than the inwardly extending curved portion l9 and to expand and progressively thin the other end of the blank to form an outwardly curved portion I 4 which is curved in a direction opposite to the inwardly curved portion and which has an outer diameter approximating, but slightly less, than the outer diameter of the completed disk illustrated in Figure 6. Figure 4 illustrates the blank formed by the apparatus of Figure 8.

The next step comprises the subjecting of the blank of Figure 4 to the apparatus illustrated in Figure 9 which comprises the die l4 and the punch it. The two cooperate to flatten the inher part of the inwardly extending curved portion 13 and the outer part of the outwardly extending curved portion 14 to form the inner and outer substantially radially extending parts [6 and ll, respectively. The punch and die also cooperate to increase the radius of curvature of the remaining part of the outwardly extending curved portion l4 between the substantially radially extending parts and to decrease the radius of curvature between this intermediate part and the substantially radially extending parts. The disk, after it has been subjected to the operation of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 9, has the form as shown in Figure 5.

The disk is then operated upon by piercing the substantially radially extending inner and outer parts with the annular series of holes 4 and 5,

respectively, to form of these parts the bolting-on flange and the rim receiving flange, the disk being then as shown in Figure 6.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In the method of forming a pressed metal wheel disk, those steps comprising contracting one end portion of a tubular blank to form an inwardly curved portion, expanding the entire portion of the blank remaining unchanged after the contracting step to form an outwardly curved portion forming with the inwardly curved portion a continuous reverse curve, flattening the inner part of the inwardly curved portion and the outer part of the outwardly curved portion to form flattened portions and during the flattening steps recurving the portion of the reverse curve between the flattened portions to the-final desired shape.

2. In the method of forming a pressed metal wheel disk, the die-pressing steps of contracting one end portion of a substantially cylindrical blank to form an inwardly curved portion, expanding the entire portion of the blank remaining unchanged after the contracting step to form an outwardly curved portion forming with the inwardly curved portion a continuous reverse curve and during the expanding step reducing the radius of the inwardly curved portion, flattening the inner part of the inwardly curved portion and the outer part of the outwardly curved portion at the same time to form flattened portions and during the flattening step recurving the portion of the reverse curve between the flattened portions to the final desired shape.

3. In the method of forming a pressed metal wheel disk, those steps comprising contracting one end portion of a tubular blank to form an inwardly curved portion, expanding the entire portion of the blank remaining unchanged after the contracting step to form an outwardly curved portion forming with the inwardly curved portion a continuous reverse curve, flattening the inner part of the inwardly curved portion and the outer part of the outwardly curved portion at the same time to form flattened portions and during the flattening step increasing the radius of curvature of the unflattened part of the outwardly curved portion to the final desired shape.

FRANK H. LE JEUNE. 

